


Under a Roman Sky

by Willaphyx



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, gap year, historynerd!bellamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 03:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3880753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willaphyx/pseuds/Willaphyx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke had eaten a waffle on the streets of Brussels, ridden a bike through the winding roads of Amsterdam, and walked the grounds of The Tower of London.  She’d lounged on a beach in Spain, taken a gondola ride through the breathtaking canals of Venice, and eaten sausage in Berlin.  She’d marvelled at Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, braved her fear of heights to ride the London Eye, felt the sand of Juno Beach beneath her toes, and walked silently through the tombstones of her fallen countrymen who had given their lives on D-Day.  She’d stood on the Cliffs of Moher with the wind ripping through her hair, hiked Portugal’s Parque Nacional de Peneda-Gerês, and sampled chocolate in Switzerland.</p><p>But Rome had always been the dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under a Roman Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Aesthetic edit created by the ever lovely [brraveprincess.](http://brraveprincess.tumblr.com)

_ _

_ _

 

_“A thousand roads lead men forever to Rome.”_

 

_**2010 - Virginia, USA** _

Clarke dangled her feet over the edge of the dock, her bare toes just barely skimming the surface of the murky lake.  She tipped her head back and smiled, taking delight in the hum of the cicadas and the delicious feeling of the sun beating down against her skin.

Next to her Octavia shook out her hair, accidentally whipping Raven in the face, eliciting a disgruntled noise from their friend and a shove that knocked O into Clarke’s shoulder.

Normally Clarke would have shoved her back but it was summer vacation and she was floating in a cloud of bliss.  She had an entire three months in front of her in which she wasn’t obligated to do anything but sun by the lake, eat too much ice cream, sleep until the early hours of the afternoon, and maybe (though Clarke would never tell) oggle Octavia’s older brother when he graced them with his presence.

Octavia’s brother, the _infamous_ Bellamy Blake and Clarke’s secret crush since the Blakes had moved in next door to the Griffins six years ago.  Her aimless daydreaming about that hair and those freckles and _that smile_ was interrupted when Raven asked, “Do you guys ever think about college?”

“Sure,” Octavia said.  “Getting out of here?  Meeting new people?”

“But what about us?” Raven asked after a pregnant pause.

“What about us?” Clarke asked, leaning around Octavia to get a better look at her other friend.

“Are we still going to be _us_?”

“Of course,” Octavia said as Clarke said, “Definitely.”

Raven smiled and kicked at the water.  “Good,” she said quietly.

“But, you know,” Octavia said thoughtfully.  “I’ve always wondered what we were actually going to do when we graduate.  You know?  Like we can’t just sit around her like every other summer.  We have to _do_ something.”

Clarke grinned. “That’s what gap years are for.”

Octavia grinned.  “I knew we kept you around for a reason.”

Clarke rolled her eyes and shoved O into the lake.

“Oh, now you’re in for it,” Raven told her, a smile dancing around her lips, as she lifted the disposable camera that never left her hand.  Octavia erupted out of the water, looking like she was on a quest for vengeance.

“You’re going down, Griffin,” she hissed as she hauled Clarke, screeching with delight, in after her.  The last thing Clarke heard before her head went under the water was the  _click_ of the shutter. _  
_

 

_**Present day - Somewhere in Northern Italy** _

“God, it’s hot,” Octavia whined.

Next to her Jasper laughed as Monty said, “This is what you get for not wanting to cough up the extra cash for business class.”

Octavia groaned and threw her head back.  “We’ve still got months left and I’m running low on cash, okay?”

“And whose fault is that?” Raven asked, head ducked as she scrolled through her camera's photo archive.  As was to be expected, Raven had taken up the mantle of official photographer and she had thousands and thousands of pictures to prove it.

Octavia threw a balled up piece of paper at her that Raven deflected easily.  The dark-haired girl grinned.  Octavia groaned again and went back to fanning herself desperately with a magazine.

Clarke just smiled as she leaned her head against the window, watching the beautiful green of the Italian countryside flash past.  Ever since that day on the lake when she’d finally spoken the thoughts that had been bouncing around in her head forever, she’d been dreaming of this.

Traveling across Europe with just a backpack and her best friends in the world had become a tangible reality to look forward to during the middle of their junior year of high school when they’d realized that they might actually be able to save up enough funds to make it happen.

The group that had originally started as just Clarke, O, and Raven now included Jasper and Monty, a pair of best friends they’d known forever but who had seamlessly slid into their friend group when they’d all ended up in the same horrible chem class together sophomore year.

Plus it helped that Monty’s boyfriend, Miller was Bellamy’s college roommate and best friend.

And while they were on the topic of Bellamy Blake: he’d asked her to his senior prom “as friends” but by the end of the night they’d been making out in a dark corner of the dance floor.  Now here they were three years later still going strong despite the fact that Bellamy was going to school in California and Clarke was still at home in Virginia.  And now she was all the way across the Atlantic in Italy.

 _Italy_.

It still amazed her.  She’d dreamt of Europe for years and now here she was, two months into the trip of a lifetime with the best friends she could ever dream of.

She’d climbed the steps of the Eiffel Tower with her two best friends in the world, eaten a crepe on the banks of the Seine, taken a selfie with the Mona Lisa, and stood over the tomb of the Unknown Soldier buried beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

She’d eaten a waffle on the streets of Brussels, ridden a bike through the winding roads of Amsterdam, and walked the grounds of The Tower of London.  She’d lounged on a beach in Spain, taken a gondola ride through the breathtaking canals of Venice, and eaten sausage in Berlin.  She’d marvelled at Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, braved her fear of heights to ride the London Eye, felt the sand of Juno Beach beneath her toes, and walked silently through the tombstones of her fallen countrymen who had given their lives on D-Day.  She’d stood on the Cliffs of Moher with the wind ripping through her hair, hiked _Portugal’s Parque Nacional de Peneda-Gerês_ , and sampled chocolate in Switzerland.

But _Rome_.  Rome was the dream.  Rome had _always_ been the dream.

Thoughts of Rome called up summer nights spent out on the dock with Bellamy, his arm around her shoulder, her head on his, as his voice lulled her to sleep with tales of the Colosseum, the Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Catacombs of San Callisto, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel.

The one regret she had was that he wasn’t here to experience the city and all of its beauty with her.  But she had the next best thing, one of which was currently prodding her in the shoulder.

“Clarke, Clarke, _Clarke_ ,” Jasper chanted.

She pulled her head away from the window to look at him.  “What?”

He pointed out the window, a little farther ahead of them than she’d been looking and said, “Look!”

The architecture of the city of Roma, Italia loomed ahead of them.  Clarke grinned as next to her, Octavia bounced in her seat.  Not even Raven, who had been playing it cool for the entirety of the train ride, could her smile at the childlike grin on Jasper’s face.

Clarke felt for the chain around her neck, the B.C. necklace Bellamy had given her when she graduated high school as a joke ( _BC_ for Before Christ but also Bellamy  & Clarke) and smiled to herself.  Even if he couldn’t really be there, he’d always be with her in spirit.

 

When Clarke jumped off the train, her backpack slung over her shoulder, feeling the shimmering heat lifting off the concrete, she felt like she’d stepped into another world.  All around her were flurries of Italian and the a last call for a train bound for somewhere on the Amalfi Coast.

“We made it, Rave,” she said to her friend as they picked their way up the platform.  “ _Rome_.”

Raven smiled and slung an arm over Clarke’s shoulder.  “And _damn_ I’m excited!”

Clarke was at the back of the group, staring around in wonder at everything around her (even if it was just a train station) which is why she didn’t notice their group had stopped until she ran right into Octavia’s back, sending both of them tumbling forward a little until they steadied themselves.

That’s when Clarke noticed that Monty’s backpack was on the ground by Jasper’s feet and that its owner was wrapped in the arms of a familiar looking man, next to whom was…

“ _Bellamy_?”

Her boyfriend grinned that wide grin she loved so much.  “Hey, princess.”

“Oh, my God!”

She pushed past Raven and Octavia and threw herself into him, pressing her face against his neck as his arms wrapped around her back as best they could with her backpack in the way.  He kissed her hair.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, pulling back just a little.  “What is _Miller_ doing here?”

Because of course that was who Monty was untangling himself from.

“Well, it is our spring break,” Miller said around a smile as he wrapped an arm around his boyfriend, who was beaming in a way that Clarke had never seen before.

“So you came here?” she asked, directing the question more to Bellamy, still unbelieving that he was there.

“Of course,” he said like it was the most straightforward thing in the world.  “I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to see my favorite girl.”

“Hey!” Octavia complained, but there was a joking tone in her voice.

Bellamy just smiled and ruffled her hair, leaning around Clarke to giver her a one-armed hug.  “Hey, O.”

“Hey, right back at you, big brother.  I’m glad to see your plane didn’t crash.”

He gave her a mock wounded look and Clarke’s mouth dropped open.  “Wait, you...you _knew_?”

“We all did, babe,” Raven said behind her.  “Bell’s been planning this since we decided we were actually doing this.  That’s why--”

“Why you were so adamant that we go to Rome this week,” Clarke finished knowingly, turning back to Bellamy.  “Thank you,” she whispered.

He grinned then leaned down for a peck to the lips that turned into something a bit more than a peck.  Behind them, Raven cleared her throat and Clarke broke away, burying her head in Bellamy’s chest.

“Thank you,” she repeated.

“Anything for you, princess,” he said into her hair in a reverent voice that almost made it sound like a prayer.

She smiled into his shirt as the familiar smell that was so _Bellamy_ washed over her.  It had been months since she’d last seen him since he hadn’t been able to come home for Christmas and the last time she had seen him was Thanksgiving, what felt like years ago.

“Oh, come _on_ ,” Octavia grumbled.  “I’m starving and I’ve been dreaming about pizza since forever.”

“And don’t forget about gelato,” Jasper added.

“Yes!  And gelato.”

Bellamy chuckled into Clarke’s hair and pushed her away a little.  “Here, princess, let me take your backpack.”  He slid it off her shoulders and had it slung over his own before she could even protest.  “Now, let’s go,” he said to the group, “before Octavia decides to eat one of us instead.”

His sister glared at him but she could never stay angry at Bellamy for long and so off they went, Octavia trying (and failing miserably) to pretend she was still grumbling.

Clarke had to admit that the pizza was good.  So good in fact that she basically ate an entire one herself.  But then so did all the rest of them, so she didn’t feel all that bad about it.  Or the giant cup of gelato that she ate right after.

Now she was lying on the (very very very) small bed she’d be sharing with Bellamy in the hostel they’d booked groaning while he unpacked her backpack for her because she was too bloated to move.

“You know this is why I love you, right?” she managed.

He threw her an amused look. “I like to think that you love me for reasons other than the fact that I’m willing to put your clothes away for you,” he said, stuffing a pile of her shirts into a drawer.

She smiled up at the ceiling.  “It just contributes to how wonderful you are.”

“Oh, is that so?” he asked, sliding onto the bed next to her, propping himself up on one hand and using the other to brush her cheek lightly.

“Yeah,” she said, smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt.  “I missed you,” she said in a lower register.

Bellamy’s eyes darkened and the hand on her cheek slid to the back of her neck, tangling in her hair just the way he knew she liked and leaned in.  Then he whispered to her just how much _he_ had missed _her_ against her bare skin while his name escaped from her lips over and over, a chant that she never wanted to stop uttering.

 

“This is incredible,” Clarke said, later that night, as they gathered around the Trevi Fountain.

One of Bellamy’s arms was firmly sandwiched around her shoulder and the other was around his sister, who was arguing with Jasper over how to throw a coin into the fountain.

“It’s your _left_ hand, Octavia,” he said in a fake patient voice undercut with exasperation.

“No, no, no,” she protested, grabbing his left hand and forcing open his fingers, taking the coin out.  “It’s your _right_.”

Jasper scrambled to take the coin back, insisting that it was _the left dammit_.

Clarke smiled.  “Which is it?” she whispered to Bellamy.

His hand tightened on her shoulder.  “Right hand over the left shoulder,” he whispered back.  “You going to make a wish?”

She shook her head.  “Why would I?” she said to the statues adorning the fountain.  “I’ve already got everything I could ever want.”

 

Rome was everything Clarke had been dreaming of and so much more.  And everything was all the more magical because Bellamy was there with her.

It was his arm around her waist when they reached the top of the Spanish Steps, wheezing slightly from the 135 steps, but still feeling like gods.

He was the one who read facts about the Colosseum to her out of the guidebook even though she knew without a doubt that he knew all of them by heart anyway.

He was the one standing next to her in every group shot Raven took, a wide grin on his face that matched the sunny happiness on hers.

He was the one who talked her ear off for twenty minutes about every statue and every grave in the Pantheon, much to the distaste of everyone else in the group except Monty and Miller who stayed to listen while Octavia, Raven, and Jasper scurried off saying something about lunch.

He was the one who slowly walked her through the Roman Forum, an arm around her shoulder, leaning down so he could whisper facts about the crumbling structures around them into her ear.  He was the one pulled her aside from the rest of the group to point out the unassuming looking rock where Julius Caesar was assassinated and then grinned like this was what he’d been waiting for all along.

As magical as Rome was (and it was incredible) the best part was experiencing it with someone who hadn’t just been dreaming about this for the last four months but instead for his entire _life_.

Bellamy had the heart and mind of a world traveller but the responsibilities of a 45-year old man.  It had been a struggle for her, O, and Raven to even get him to apply for college at all.  It was true that after Aurora Blake’s death Bellamy was the only one left who could care for Octavia but Bellamy needed to live his own life, too.

 

_“You’ve only got one, Bell,” Clarke had said to him on a day in late August, just days before the start of his senior year._

_They’d been sitting on the dock alone, her in shorts and a sports bra, him with jeans rolled up to the ankles and no shirt.  This was how they spent their summers and they were holding on to the rapidly fleeing edge of this last one with trembling hands.  This was the last one that would feel like this._

_Because after this Bellamy would be leaving, he would be a high school graduate, even more out of her league than ever before._

_He’d sighed and tipped his head back and Clarke had exploited the stolen moment, studying his profile, dark and shadowy against the violently pastel backdrop of a summer sunset._

He looks like a statue, _Clarke had thought, eyes raking over his cheekbones and that strong chin._  Or at least he would if it wasn’t for the hair.

_Bellamy’s hair had been particularly long that summer, falling into his eyes more often than not.  Still no one brought it up.  Because that had always been Aurora’s job._

_“I need to be here for O,” he’d explained, exhaling deeply._

_“O doesn’t need you to throw your life away for her,” Clarke had argued.  “What she needs is to be proud of her big brother.  For him to go to college and get a degree and not stay in this dead end town.”_

_Bellamy looked over at her and his eyes were sad.  “We don’t all get to leave, Clarke.”_

_“You do.”_

_He’d laughed at that and she’d scooted closer, laying a hand against his bicep, trying to ignore the play of his muscles under his skin. “Bellamy, please,” she’d begged.  “Give Octavia something to be proud of.  You know just as well as I do that she has a great support network here.  Raven and I and everyone else will take care of her.  You’re not the only one who has to.”_

_He’d looked over at her then and there was wonder in his eyes.  “Clarke,” he’d croaked out._

_“For once in your life, Bellamy Blake, do something for you.”_

 

It was freeing for Clarke to see him like this, so uninhibited and free-spirited.  She hadn’t seen him like this since the beginning of that summer before his senior year.  That was the summer when she’d really started to fall for him.

That was the summer she knew it wasn’t just a dumb schoolgirl crush.  It was the real deal.  It was love.

Bellamy hadn’t truly let himself go in four years.  He’d always been worried about something.  Octavia.  Money.  Octavia.  School.  Octavia.  Octavia again.

But here, surrounded by centuries of history in a place that Clarke knew he had dreamed about since he barely knew what dreams were, he really let himself stop thinking and just be.

It showed at dinner when the seven of them sat around a table, maybe a bit too drunk off Italian wine, amazing food, and the best company.  It showed in how he gesticulated wildly when he talked as he and Miller ad libbed stories back and forth about their peers and the one frat party they’d gone to before deciding it wasn’t their thing.  It showed in the way he easily draped a hand over the back of her chair and the sparkle in his eye that she so rarely saw anymore.  It showed in the high ringing tone of his laugh.

But more than anything, it showed in the way that he wasn’t watching Octavia like a hawk.  In the way that he simply nodded when she said she wanted to go off and look at something by herself.  In the way that at some point when Clarke hadn’t been paying attention, he’d stopped acting like a dictator and instead had just become her brother.

 

“So, Clarke,” Bellamy asked.  “The museum first?  Or St. Peter’s?”

Today was their last full day which meant that it was time to visit the Vatican.  Clarke knew that Bellamy had been holding out on this, saving it for the very end, because he wanted it to be something special.

 _Bellamy Blake, the eternal romantic_ , she thought as he tugged her down a street past street vendors sitting on blankets spread chock-full of knock off merchandise. _Who ever would have known._

“The museum first!” she called to him.  “I want to save St. Peter’s for last.”

He threw a grin and one of those winks that made her go weak in the knees over his shoulder and gave her a small salute.  “The princess shall receive what she doth ask for.”

Clarke blushed a little, smiled and followed him as he led her up the steps to the museum.

 

The others had set them free to do their own thing when they’d met for breakfast.  Clarke had her suspicions that it was because they didn’t want to be around Bellamy in a museum but whatever.  It meant she got him all to herself and she was okay with that.

It was also hard to be angry when Miller was talking about taking Monty to a park so they could maybe do some sunbathing and reading, Raven wanted to take some more pictures, and Octavia and Jasper were talking about going to back to the Colosseum and taking a tour of the underground part where they’d kept the gladiators prior to their fights.

Clarke could practically see Bellamy salivating over the prospect of that but she knew that the treasure troves of the Vatican Museum and alone time with her would always win out in the end.

They had lingered longer over breakfast that morning than usual, none of them quite willing to part yet.

Miller had kept an arm slung over Monty’s shoulder the whole time, clearly just as unwilling as her to admit that in just a few days they were going to have to separate again.  She smiled when she saw Monty whisper something into his boyfriend’s ear and Miller’s answering broad smile.

The two of them had met when Bellamy had brought Miller home for Thanksgiving their sophomore year of college, citing something about his dad being on an unavoidable business trip and Miller having nowhere else to go.

Aurora Blake, being Aurora Blake, had welcomed in her son’s friend with open arms.  It was a miracle she’d let go of him at the end of the four days considering the bond they’d developed.  Though Aurora wasn’t the only one that Miller had grown attached to.

Bellamy had never had a lot of friends growing up and had either hung out with Octavia and her friends or had kept to himself.  So during his school breaks, he spent most of his time around O, Clarke and Raven.  And by extension that year, Monty and Jasper.  And Miller and Monty had hit it off nearly immediately.

By the end of the weekend they were an official couple, making Clarke wish that she had that kind of backbone in high school, and they’d been keeping their long distance relationship alive ever since.

It was impressive and downright admirable.

But then, she thought, looking around the table at the six people who had come to be here entire world.  All of this was.  Against all the odds they’d made a years long dream come true.  They were here, in _Europe_ together with the people they loved most in the world.

Octavia, the girl Clarke had first thought of as irritating and downright obnoxious, who was now her biggest confidant and best friend.

Raven, the new girl who had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of eighth grade with a tragic backstory and an attitude to match who was actually one of the sweetest and most supportive friends Clarke had ever known.

Jasper and Monty, the sometimes overwhelming not always the most relatable stoner nerds with the biggest hearts who were always up for a hug if you needed one.

Miller, who Clarke had never been expecting to like, with his sometimes gruff demeanor and straight-to-it attitude but who underneath, was caring and compassionate.

And last but not least, Bellamy, who had all of his sister’s best traits multiplied by a million with a few extras of his own thrown in for good measure.  Honest.  Loyal.  Dedicated.  The best man Clarke had ever known.  And most importantly, _hers_.  She hoped forever.

He caught her staring and grinned.  And the floor dropped out from under her just like the first time.  Just like every time.  He kissed the back of her hand and she smiled.  This was her happy place.  This was home.  This was everything she’d ever wanted and more.  To be surrounded by people who she loved unconditionally who returned that love with everything they had and so so much more.

 

It was three hours later that they found themselves in the Sistine Chapel, herded out with the tide of people coming from the museum.  Clarke froze, her hand clamped around Bellamy’s, her breath escaping her in a small gasp.

She’s seen pictures before of course.  Who hadn’t?  Plus when you had a Roman history nerd for  a boyfriend, Vatican architecture was a hard thing to escape.  It was a miracle that all of Bellamy’s passion for and knowledge about history hadn’t oozed into Octavia over the years.  It certainly had into Clarke.

But this was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.  Even though she was in the midst of a massive crowd, with strangers pushing in on her from every side, she felt like it was just her, Bellamy, and the chapel’s intricately painted walls.

Michelangelo’s famous ceiling mural towered above her as she tilted her head back, accidentally knocking into Bellamy’s chest as he took a step closer and wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on the top of her head.

She smiled as her eyes closed and her hands came to rest on his.  His grip tightened and he might have whispered something into the silence but it was so weak and quiet she didn’t quite catch it.  But it didn’t matter.  There would be plenty of time to ask him what he’d said that night when it was just them and a dark room, no tourists in sight.

“It took Michelangelo four years to paint the ceiling,” Bellamy whispered into her hair, ducking his head to press a kiss to the crown of hers.  “Incredible, isn’t it?  That someone was able to create something so beautiful in just four years.”

Clarke studied Adam’s hand reaching out to meet God and smiled.  “I think we all have our talents,” she said honestly after a pause.

She felt Bellamy’s smile against the top of her head.  “You’re a philosopher, Clarke Griffin.”

“You could say that you’re the one who brings it out in me.”

It wasn’t until later, when they stood in the cavernous, echoing silence of St. Peter’s Basilica, practically wowed into silence at the pure _extravagance_ that Clarke voiced the one thought that had been running through her head all week, “Thank you.  For this.  For coming.  For everything.”

Bellamy turned to look at her, eyes serious albeit a little confused.  “You don’t have to say it, Clarke.”

“No,” she replied honestly.  “I do.  Because I know that you probably gave up shifts at work to be here and God only knows how much your plane ticket cost you and you just did it for me and--”

“I don’t know why you say _only for you_ like it’s a not good enough reason.”

Clarke stared at him, shocking into silence.  “What?” she managed.

“Clarke, don’t you know by now?  I would go anywhere for you.  Do anything for you.  All you have to do is say it and I’m already there.  And that’s never going to change.”

“Bellamy,” she whispered, and her voice broke.

He smiled.  “You’ve taught me a lot, Clarke.  But the most important is what it feels like to love someone with everything I have.  And that’s the way I love you.”  He smiled and something in Clarke broke.

“You know that I love you just as much right?” she asked, watching as something beautiful bloomed in his eyes.

“Never doubted it for a minute, princess,” he said fondly, wrapping an arm around her and leading her out.  “But we should try to find the others before my sister gets too hungry and they eat without us.  I read incredible reviews for this restaurant by Piazza Navona that I want to try.”

Clarke smiled and, leaning into his side, reached up to tangle her fingers with his as they stepped out into the hot Italian sunshine.

 

Later that night as Clarke spun the best spaghetti she’d ever had in her life around her fork and listened to Jasper tell Miller about the hot girl he’d seen earlier (“he doesn’t _care_ , Jasper,” Raven had said exasperatedly.  “The only other straight guy here is so whipped I’m pretty sure he’s forgotten other girls exist.”) Clarke thought realized that she wasn’t sad about the next day when they all had to go their separate ways again.

It didn’t matter that Bellamy and Miller had class in two days and that tomorrow they were getting on a flight to go back to California while Raven, Octavia, Monty, Jasper, and Clarke were getting on another train, this time en route to Austria.

Because when she was surrounded by her friends, their laughter ringing in her ears, she knew that tomorrow might as well have been an eternity away.  Because they had now.  And now was so much better than _tomorrow, two weeks from now, next month._

But the best thing of all of was forever.  And if she knew anything at all, it was that the seven of them had each other.  And that they always would.  That wasn’t something she could have ever comprehended all those years ago on that dock.  But now, with her friends around her, she knew that they would always find a way back to each other.  Because that’s just what they always did.

“ _Forever_ ,” Bellamy whispered into her ear that night as he lifted her arms over her head, clasped neatly in one hand, and pressed her so deep into the mattress that she thought she might never be able to climb out again.  “ _I’m yours forever_.”

And damn if she didn’t love the sound of that. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come cry with me on [Tumblr?](http://maytheymeeetagain.tumblr.com)


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